What Lies Behind the Implications
by shansey21
Summary: Through much trials and tribulations, Gale Hawthorne and Madge Undersee grow to realize that despite everything they had believed before, they weren't so different after all. Covers all three books and has a mix of canon/non-canon elements.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Prologue

This is a story of a girl and a boy.

On the surface, they couldn't be more different.

She was the mayor's daughter.

All he knew was the Seams.

She loved to play the piano.

He found comfort in hunting.

She worried about the future.

He couldn't let go of the past.

But with the nights in the meadow,

The whispered secrets,

The shared glances,

They came to realize that they weren't so different at all.

* * *

A/N: I will apologize for the super long author's note but there is just so much to say! I am super excited to finally share this story with you guys! I've been working on it for a while now but I haven't finished writing it yet. However, I have enough chapters written to hopefully update in a consistent manner (hopefully once a week or every other week).

A fair warning, this story will not be a story where they meet quickly and fall in love. I will delve deeper into my take on Gale and Madge's story before the period where _The Hunger Games_ begins and it will have a mix of canon/non-canon elements. It will be fairly long (roughly 40-50 chapters) and will begin with Gale being 11 years old (so you have a rough idea of how long it may be).

With that being said, I'm hoping the length of the story won't scare you away! I've been working super hard on this story and would love any input! :)

Xo, Shan


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games**.

A/N: I'm so excited to finally upload this story! Enjoy :)

* * *

It was the first snowfall of the year.

The white flakes melted as they met with the cold concrete. Winter was coming, and with it, a gloomy atmosphere began to fall over the district. People were beginning to worry about heat, electricity, and most importantly, food. The snow began to settle down onto the quiet district, making its presence known.

 _I am here to stay_.

The streets were quiet, the only light coming from the unreliable lamp post standing on the side of the road. There would be times when the Seam had no power for days.

A little boy with dark hair, olive skin, and piercing grey eyes stood outside his shabby home, staring up at the grey sky. He concentrated on his breaths and tried to ignore the harsh wind whipping his face. A group of children were sitting in a dark alleyway, huddled around a weak fire. He tried to ignore their sunken cheeks and tattered clothing.

Homeless children in the seams was not uncommon. Many of them lost their parents to illness or death in the mines. Some were abandoned, their families not being able to feed another mouth on the table.

The boy looked away from the children and turned his attention back to the road. He kicked the ground in frustration. He began to wonder if something happened down at the mines and he could feel his heart hammering inside his chest as panic began to take over.

 _No, they would've sounded the alarms_ , he reasoned.

He could hear his mother calling for him to come back in, but he yelled back that he would in five minutes. He began to pace back and forth. He focused on the sound of his footsteps and stared at the imprints his shoes left on the slushy ground.

 _Crunch crunch crunch_.

Suddenly, the boy's head whipped around as he heard another pair of footsteps. A smile broke out on his face as he saw who it was. The man approaching him was holding a small bag in one hand and his mining gear in the other. Soot was covering every part of him except for the area around his eyes. His helmet was tucked under one arm and his eyebrows furrowed as he saw the boy.

"Gale, what are you doing outside? It's freezing," the man said, quickening his steps.

Gale met the man halfway and took his mining gear from his hands. "You're late, dad! I was beginning to worry."

The man ruffled his son's dark hair and paused in his steps. The boy looked at him in confusion as his dad kneeled down so that his face was leveled with Gale's.

"Can you keep a secret?"

The boy immediately nodded his head before the man opened up the small bag he had been holding. Gale peeked inside and saw pink. His eyes widened as he was surprised to see the item inside. Being in a home with all boys—besides his mother—pink was a color he was not used to seeing.

"I was late because I was picking this up down at the hob," his dad said, reaching inside the bag.

"What is it?" Gale asked. "Who's it for? Why'd you get it?"

His dad pulled out a small, crème colored knitted hat, and a delicate pink rattle. Intricate patterns of flowers were around the head of the rattle and his dad gave it a small shake. The sound of the beads clattering echoed down the quiet street and the heads of the small children huddled around the fire turned towards them. They stared at Gale and his father, wondering what the noise was.

"It's for the baby."

Gale's brows furrowed in confusion. "But…it might not even be a girl! What if it's a boy? What are you going to do with this then? It's pink!"

His dad stood back up and stuffed the items back into the bag.

"It's a girl," his dad proclaimed. "I can feel it."

Gale rolled his eyes and quietly muttered, "boys are better."

They made their way back to their home. He finally felt the harsh cold's effects he had ignored earlier and placed his hands onto his cheeks, trying to transfer some warmth onto them. As the two Hawthornes entered the small home, they both felt their bodies melt. The heat from the small fireplace permeated the tiny living room and a very pregnant woman was sitting on the couch. A tiny boy was sleeping on her lap and she carefully got up to carry him into the bedroom.

When she returned, she scolded Gale and told him that he could catch a cold from standing outside and they couldn't afford for that to happen. His father went over to the sink and ran a towel under the faucet. The water was too cold to have a proper bath, so all he could do was wipe off as much soot as he could with the small towel. No matter how many times Hazelle Hawthorne tried to wash the soot off of it, the towel was always tinged with a light grey color.

Gale's father stealthily hid the small bag from earlier by placing it under his hunting gear. He sent Gale a quick wink before he went into the bedroom to change out of his mining clothes while Hazelle began to warm up some food for him. Gale lounged on the couch as his father re-entered the kitchen. He gave Hazelle a light kiss on her cheek before whispering something into her ear.

"Hey, bud. You're brothers are sleeping, and I think it's about time you've hit the sack as well," his dad said, settling down onto the kitchen table.

"I agree with your father, Gale. It's time for bed."

Gale nodded and quietly slipped into his bedroom. He saw Rory and Vick sprawled out on the bed they shared, the sound of their soft snores filling the small room. Gale changed into his pajamas and placed another layer of blanket on top of his two brothers before laying down on his own bed. He rested his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

He had never thought about it before, but as Gale slowly drifted off to sleep, he secretly hoped that the baby would be a girl too.

* * *

Madge Undersee opened up her bedroom curtain to see a pleasant surprise. Snow. She grabbed her coat strewn over her chair and hastily put it on while she padded down the quiet hallway. She peeked in her parents bedroom and saw a lump inside the covers of the bed. Her mother was fast asleep, a bottle of empty morphine on the bedside table. Madge quietly closed the door and headed down the stairs. She saw the lights on in her father's office and knew that he was buried with work. The victor of the 68th Hunger Games was arriving tomorrow morning and Madge knew that he had to get everything ready for him.

The blonde slipped out of the back door, feeling the cold hit her as soon as she stepped outside. A thin layer of snow settled down onto her backyard and Madge slowly walked off the porch, feeling the snow melt under her bare feet. She didn't mind the cold at all.

As she stood in the middle of the now white yard, she plopped down onto the ground, and stared up at the dark sky. The cold soothed her heated skin and she rapidly blinked away the melted snow on her lashes. The melted snow streaming down the side of her face mingled with the tears Madge had unknowingly begun to shed. Tomorrow would be the first time she went with her father to greet the victor and his team at the train station.

She didn't want to greet the victor with a fake smile plastered on her face.

She didn't want to act like everything was okay when it wasn't.

Once Madge began to lose the feeling in her ears and toes, she wiped away her face with the sleeve of her coat and sat up. She could feel the snow frozen on her blonde hair and turned around to see her body's mangled imprint on the ground. Her body began to shiver as she made her way back to the house. Her father was still holed up inside his office and she knew that her mother would still be sleeping up in her room. Madge could feel her frozen hair slowly thawing as the melted snow began to drip onto the wooden floor.

Madge walked to the fireplace in the living room and sat down on the floor. She shrugged off her wet coat and grabbed a blanket off the couch, wrapping it around her small body. Her teeth were clattering and Madge clenched her jaws together in an attempt to stop it.

She knew that tomorrow morning, she would regret her reckless decision to lay down outside. She knew that as she stood outside in her new dress and fur coat, waiting for the victor to arrive at the train station, she would feel the beginnings of a cold take over her body. But for now, Madge remained on the living room floor and stared aimlessly at the flickering flames in front of her.

* * *

 _Achoo!_

Madge grabbed a tissue off her vanity and blew her nose. As soon as she woke up that morning, she felt the effects of last night immediately. Her face was heated and her throat felt raw and scratchy. She couldn't stop sneezing and her nose stayed a permanent shade of pink no matter how much her nanny Tilda tried to cover it up. The victor would be arriving in an hour and Madge had to look pristine—perfect.

The blonde stared at her reflection one more time. Her hair was slicked back into a high bun and the red lipstick she was forced to wear made her seem much older than the average ten year old girl. A casual onlooker would see Madge and adore her perfectly applied makeup and her perfect hair, but if one looked closely, they might notice that her blue eyes were a bit glazed over and light dark circles rested under them as she didn't have much sleep the night before.

Madge stood up and straightened out her light blue dress. She was turning around to make sure that the back of her dress wasn't wrinkled when she heard a light knock coming from her door. Her father's head popped inside before he entered her bedroom.

"Madge, honey, are you ready? The car's waiting outside."

She nodded her head and grabbed her coat. "Is mom coming?" she asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

Her father sadly shook his head with a sad smile. "Your mother wasn't feeling well this morning and we thought it was best that she stay home today."

As they made their way out to the car, Madge was greeted by a thick blanket of snow. It had stopped snowing but the effects of last night still lingered in the town. The shopkeepers were shoveling as much snow as they could off of the sidewalks while the little children were throwing snowballs at each other.

The driver opened up the door for Madge and her father and they slipped inside. The car was fully heated and Madge could feel herself already boiling inside her fur coat. As the car began to move, many people on the streets stopped what they were doing. Cars were especially rare in District 12 so when one was in plain view like this, everyone stopped to admire it.

For Madge, she could never see why it was so special. It was simply a device used to quickly move a person from one place to another.

As her father made small talk with the driver, Madge nervously played with her fingers.

The victor's name was Magnus Yewl—a ruthless fifteen year old boy from District 2. He single handedly killed all 23 tributes with no help. Many people thought he wouldn't be much of a threat because he hadn't bothered creating any alliances. He was also slightly on the small side, compared to the burly types everyone was used to seeing from District 2, but Madge knew better. He was cold, silent, and calculating. Even as he threw a spear through the body of the poor boy from District 7, she saw no glimpse of remorse in his brown eyes. The games itself only lasted a week and a half, the shortest Panem had seen in the last twenty years.

When they arrived at the station, it was already filled with many reporters from the Capitol. Their flashy clothes and bright hair were a deep contrast from the bland appearance of District 12.

"Daddy. Are you nervous?" Madge asked, tightly holding onto her father's hand as she stepped out of the car.

The mayor looked down at his daughter with furrowed brows. "Now why would I be nervous, honey?"

Madge looked down at the floor, ashamed by her behavior. "The victor, Magnus. He's a bit…scary, isn't he?"

Her father quickly looked around, making sure the reporters hadn't heard her. He crouched down so that he could properly face her and acted as if he was fixing her hair. "Magnus Yewl is not scary. He is brave and you should be proud that he is able to come all this way to visit our district. He is the pride and joy of Panem right now and when you see him, you will smile and treat him the way he deserves to be treated—with respect."

Madge quickly nodded and muttered an apology. Her father gave her a sad smile and placed a light kiss onto her forehead. The steady hum of the train could be heard as it made its way to the station and her father grabbed onto Madge's hand as they made their way to the front. Madge had a bouquet of flowers in her hand for the victor and her father waved at the cameras with a bright smile.

The train came to a steady halt, letting out a final hiss before the doors opened. The escort for District 2 hopped out of the train, his green hair shining brightly. He waved at the cameras and Madge cringed at the row of diamonds encrusted into each of his teeth.

 _One diamond could easily feed one hundred people_ , she thought to herself.

Next came the victor's mentors, Reesa Trixon and Dax Pillar, the latter sporting a fresh scar on his left cheek. Madge wondered where he could've gotten that, knowing full well that they were all too busy preparing to tour the other districts to fight with one another.

The victor's prep team pranced out of the compartment, each of them waddling in their 6-inch platforms and babbling on about the long ride.

Finally, the victor himself came out of the train, causing the already frenzied reporters to break out into a loud commotion. He swept away his long black hair and his piercing green eyes scanned the crowd.

"Magnus! Magnus! Smile for the camera!"

"How do you feel about the tour? Excited to see the Capitol?"

"I see you chose to keep your scars from the Game instead of having them removed! Like having reminders of your victory?"

Madge wanted to drop the bouquet of flowers and run back home, but instead, she slowly approached the victor alongside her father. The mayor shook hands with the escort and the mentors before taking the victor's hand into his own. They both faced the cameras, her father smiling wide for the cameras while Magnus stood emotionless. Madge hesitantly handed him the flowers and flinched as his hand made contact with hers—the very hand that had killed innocent children.

She stepped back as her father ushered everyone through the chaotic crowd and into the car that was waiting for them. It was customary for the victor of the Games to stay at the mayor's home prior to the giving of the victor's speech down in town sqaure and Madge hated having these _killers_ eating and breathing inside her home.

The car ride was silent, except for the occasional comment from the escort.

"Oh, those shops are quite….delightful. A little small for my taste, ma dear, but…delightful."

"My my dear…your hair! Have you thought about dying it green? It's all the rage these days. I myself had mine done before everyone else. I've always been quite the trend setter."

Madge politely nodded at his comments and tried to control the way her body stiffened every time her body came into contact with Magnus's. He remained quiet throughout the whole ride, not one word slipping out of his mouth.

* * *

"Isn't it pretty cool though, Gale? I mean, it's a _celebrity_ here in District 12!"

Rory jumped up and down on the bed excitedly, too young to understand the importance of the games and what being a victor really meant. His parents tried their best to keep Rory from knowing the full truth about the games. They knew they would have to tell him soon, but for now, it was just a game on TV, nothing more. The tributes didn't really _die_ , they just left once they became too weak to play.

"I wanna be just like him when I grow up!" Rory proclaimed, resting his hands on his hips and puffing out his chest.

Gale threw his pencil onto the ground and looked up form his homework. "Don't say that, Rory! You don't want to be like him. You should _never_ want to be like him, do you understand?"

"Why not? I want to be strong like him! I want to go on the TV and be a winner and get money and eat candy! I want to-"

Gale shoved his brother, causing him to fall off the bed and onto the hard floor. Rory's bottom lip began to quiver as tears formed in his eyes. "I hate you!"

The little boy ran out the room, sobbing and calling out for his mother. Gale regretted his actions, knowing that Rory didn't know any better, but he always found himself to be a bit moody during the time when the victors came through the district.

Gale tried to turn his attention back to his homework, but a few minutes later, he heard his mother enter the room, Rory trailing right behind her. His small hand clutched the fabric of his mother's shirt as he peeked his head around her to glare at his older brother.

"Honey, did you push Rory off the bed?" she asked calmly.

Gale stood up but continued to stare at the ground. "Yes."

He then proceeded to tell her what had happened earlier and Hazelle rubbed her face, letting out a defeated sigh. "Rory honey, your brother didn't mean to push you. I think it would be best to apologize to one another, what do you think?"

Rory stepped out behind his mother and muttered a quick apology before running out of the room.

"Rory…he's too young to know yet, alright? But your father and I, we'll tell him soon. When the victory tour is over and things quiet down a bit. For now, just…let him think of the games as just that—games," Hazelle said, smoothing down Gale's unruly hair. "And I need to cut your hair soon, it's starting to get into your eyes."

* * *

The bustling noises coming from the living room echoed throughout the normally quiet home. Madge ran up to her room as soon as they had arrived, feeling suffocated under her dress and fur coat. She knew that she had a few hours to spare before Magnus had to go into town square to give his speech. She unraveled her hair, feeling the blonde locks fall gracefully down her shoulders. She let out a puff of air and fell back onto her bed. As Madge stared up at the ceiling, she tried to ignore the loud snide comments of the District 2 escort.

"This vase is just so _dreadful,_ darling. You should really get rid of it!"

Madge rolled her eyes.

"Your _hair_ is dreadful," she muttered.

The sound of the door creaking open caused Madge to sit up and let out a shriek as she saw that it was Magnus Yewl standing by her door way. He quickly let go of the door knob when he saw Madge sitting on the bed.

"Sorry. I thought this was the bathroom," he said, his voice a bit higher than Madge expected it to be.

She tried to steady her breathing, being around him made her nervous. After all, he was a murderer. "I-it's the next door t-to your right."

Magnus nodded his head but continued to stand in place, his green eyes piercing into hers. She held in her breath, waiting for him to go away.

"You know," he began, each word emitting a harsh tone, "I'm not a monster."

He then shut the door and Madge heard the sound of the wooden floor creaking under his heavy footsteps followed by the sound of the bathroom door opening and slamming shut.

Madge was taken aback by his words, and it wasn't until years later that she even understood what his words had meant.

The rest of the day was a blur. The prep team fawned over Madge's blonde hair.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to change the color? The brighter it is, the more you _pop_!"

Her father and the escort discussed the events that were to take place, while the mentors, Dax and Reesa huddled in the corner, arguing about something Madge couldn't quite make out. Meanwhile, Magnus Yewl sat emotionless on the couch, staring at the mindless capitol show playing on television.

"So, Magnus, are you excited for the rest of the Victory Tour? I know that starting it here at District 12 may seem a bit…boring I guess you could say. But you'll see the nice aspects of our humble district once you give your speech in town square! Everyone's excited to see you," the mayor said, clamping his hand on the victor's shoulder.

Madge noticed Magnus flinch at the contact, but his face remained the same emotionless mask. Her father looked at his watch before stating that they should be headed over to the town square right now. As everyone bustled out of the house, Madge felt her heart hammering inside her chest and a deep pit of fear in her stomach as she realized that the speech in town square meant facing the families of the fallen victims.

* * *

"…and it's an honor for me to be the victor of the 68th Hunger Games."

There were a few claps from the audience, followed by the drunk comments of District 12's sole victor, Haymitch Abernathy. Magnus stepped off the stage, his gaze lingering for a few minutes at the victims' families. Her father went on stage, and began to talk about the history of the games and how proud everyone should be to welcome the new victor to District 12.

After the speech, the crowd began to disassemble from the square and back to their homes. Madge caught a glimpse of a boy around her age, sporting a deep scowl on his face. His deep olive skin and dark hair signaled that he was probably from the Seams and he held the wrist of another boy, this one a bit younger than him, as he dragged him away from the crowd.

"Madge, honey," her father's voice snapping Madge out of her thoughts. "Everyone will be heading to the station soon. They need to be on their way to the next district."

"Do I have to go, daddy?"

Her father gave her a stern look and Madge already knew what he was getting ready to say.

"As the mayor's daughter, it is your duty to escort the victor and his party to and from the train station and accompany them wherever they go. You have to start getting used to this, Madge."

She frowned, knowing that he was right.

The car ride back to the station was as silent as the one from it. As it came to a slow stop, her father straightened up and opened the door.

"It was a pleasure to have you here in Distrit 12, Mr. Yewl," he said, gripping the victor's hand in a firm handshake.

Magnus remained quiet but nodded his head. He then made his way to the train as the mayor continued to say his farewells to the escort, mentors, and prep team. Madge smiled as she waved goodbye and shook her head for the fifth time that day about dying her hair green. The escort frowned but finally conceded as he made his way into the train as well.

Madge saw Magnus grip onto the train handle, ready to pull himself into the compartment when she finally yelled out, "Wait!"

He turned his head, furrowing his dark brows in confusion. He let go of the handle as he watched Madge run towards him.

When she reached him, she rested her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. "I-I'm sorry. For…my behavior. I…I don't think you're a monster."

Madge flushed as she tried to avoid his calculating gaze. She started to regret ever saying anything until she finally looked at Magnus's face and saw him staring down at her. Looking at him this close, Madge realized how young he actually looked. He seemed like a normal fifteen year old boy.

His mouth twitched into a small smile, but immediately disappeared. If Madge hadn't been looking at him right then, she would've surely missed it. As the train began to whistle, ready for departure, Madge slowly stepped away from the victor, feeling the cold air beginning to numb her cheeks.

"Thanks."

Madge's eyes widened, more surprised by his comment than the small flash of a smile she had seen just seconds earlier. Before Madge could say anything, he jumped onto the train just as it had slowly started to roll into departure.

* * *

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! :) Reviews are much appreciated! Xo, Shan


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own THG.**

* * *

The rest of the week went by in a blur. Magnus's tour was televised all day and his cold expression the same as she remembered from when he had visited District 12. The last Madge had checked, he had just finished touring through District 5.

Her mother was having one of her good days and had enough energy to sit up and watch television with her. Madge cuddled beside her mother on the wide bed, as she stroked Madge's blonde hair.

"Mommy," Madge muttered after a long silence, "I…I'm playing a piece on the piano at school tomorrow. I was just thinking, well, since you're feeling better today, maybe you could come and see me play tomorrow."

Her mother kissed the side of Madge's head. "Of course I will, honey. I miss seeing you play."

Madge smiled, already excited by the fact that her mother agreed to it. She wondered if her outfit was too boring and if she should play the piece she had picked out. Madge separated herself from her mother's hold and straightened out her hair. "I think I'm going to go practice."

* * *

Her small fingers moved gracefully along the black and white keys and her small body swayed back and forth. Her eyes were closed as she listened to the melody filling the room.

 _CRASH_!

Madge slammed her hands onto the keys in frustration. It wasn't perfect. The beat was off and her transitions weren't smooth enough. It needed to be perfect for tomorrow night.

"Madge, what's wrong?" her father asked, rushing into the living room.

Her eyes stung as it began to fill with tears. She stared at her father, quickly wiping away the tears that had fallen with her sleeve.

"I-it's not perfect, daddy."

Her father sat beside her, wrapping an arm around his daughter. "What's not perfect, sweetheart?"

Madge leaned her against her father's chest. "The song, daddy. It has to be perfect and it's not!"

Her father rubbed his hand against her arm as she sniffled against his chest. "Madge, honey, I could hear you playing from my office. It was beautiful. Your mother will love it, and so will I."

Madge straightened up and wiped her eyes. "You really think so?"

Her father nodded encouragingly as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Madge leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you, daddy." She turned and rested her fingers onto the keys, letting out a shaky breath. "I'm going to practice more."

* * *

Rory Hawthorne kicked the ground as he gripped his backpack. The snow had turned into grey slush and the gloomy sky had him in a crummy mood.

"Hey Hawthorne!"

Rory turned to see a group of older kids approaching him. "What?" He began to quicken his pace, but the group of boys jogged up to catch up to him.

The kids laughed as they shoved one another. "Don't have your brother here to protect you, huh?"

The younger Hawthorne clenched his teeth as he walked past the boys, trying to ignore their taunts.

"Hey! Who do you think you are, walking away from us?"

Rory paused in his steps, turning around nervously. "My mom will get worried if I'm not home soon."

"Aw, wittle Rory needs to go running off to his mommy," one boy sneered.

"I'm not little! I'm almost seven and I'm the tallest in my class!" Rory yelled, staring at the boys defiantly.

"Oh, so you think you're tough now aren't you? Listen, my friends and I are hungry so we're going to need you to give us what's in your bag. We saw Ms. Leighton give you something after school," the oldest boy said.

Rory clenched the strap of his bag, stepping back slowly. Ms. Leighton had given him a few pieces of chocolate, a delicacy here in District 12, for having the highest grade on the math quiz.

"I…She didn't give me anything!"

"Really? Then hand your bag over. If there's nothing there you shouldn't have a problem with that."

Rory's back hit a wall and he gasped as he realized he had reached a dead end. "I don't have to listen to you! You're not the boss of me!"

The oldest boy's fist hit the side of Rory's face. "You need to learn some manners, Hawthorne! When someone older than you asks you _nicely_ for something, you should give it to them!"

Rory nursed his bruised jaw with his hand, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Hey look, Nate, the wittle baby is crying!" one boy yelled, laughing with his friends.

Rory quickly brushed away his tears and stood back up. He dropped his bag and ran towards the laughing boys, shoving them to the ground.

Unfortunately, the fight was four against one and Rory was at a slight disadvantage. Three of the boys pinned him down as the oldest one, Nate, continued to kick his side.

"Ralph, look through his bag," he ordered.

The boy got up from pinning Rory's flailing legs to the ground and ran towards the bag. He rummaged through until his fingers wrapped around a small plastic bag filled with chocolate.

"So little Rory was lying to us, huh?" Nate asked, looking down at the battered boy lying on the floor. "Hasn't anyone ever told you? Lying is a very bad thing. I think we need to keep giving you a lesson, don't you agree-"

One of the boys let go of Rory's arm as he saw someone standing at the end of the alleyway. He had dropped his bag onto the floor and tightened his fists as he approached the boys.

"Who do you think you are, Prescott? You don't want me to send you off crying to your mommy like _last time_ do you?" Gale asked, his chest heaving as he glared at the boy standing beside his brother.

"Rory, are you okay?" he asked, kneeling beside his bruised brother.

His little brother could only respond with a slight groan, angering Gale even more. He stood up, shoving Nate against the wall, tightly grasping the boy's neck. "I'm going to let you and your little friends go this time, but if you _ever_ touch my brother again, well, let's just say, I won't need to be in the _games_ to kill you. I'll do it right here in District 12. Got it?"

The boy nodded frantically, trying to pry Gale's hand off his throat. Gale let go, and the boy fell down onto the ground, his body coughing and gasping for air. He stumbled as he got up and ran down the alleyway, his friends quickly following behind him.

Gale kneeled beside his brother again, holding up his body. "Rory, wake up!"

His brother slowly opened his eyes and let out a pained groan.

"I'm going to take you home, alright?" Gale said, turning around so that his brother could lean against his back. Gale grabbed Rory's bag before standing up and pulling Rory up with him. He grabbed onto Rory's legs and hoisted him up onto his back. Gale made his way down the alleyway, bending down to grab his own bag before heading back home.

The walk back was quiet, and Gale could feel his own heart hammering inside his chest. Kids in the Seam were violent, desperate, and were always getting into fights. He just never expected them to turn on his own brother.

Gale heard Rory groan and he turned his head to look at him. He noticed that a bruise was already forming around his right eye. "You okay?"

Rory groaned again and shut his eyes. "Did they take it?"

"Take what?" Gale asked.

"The chocolate."

* * *

Gale arrived at their small home, panting and sweating despite the frigid cold weather. Hazelle dropped the washcloth in her hand and ran towards the door, taking Rory from Gale's back.

"What happened?" she asked, carrying the boy onto the couch. She knelt beside him, wiping away the sweat on his face.

"A couple of boys from school were messing with him," Gale said, handing her a wet washcloth. "They won't hurt him again, I promise."

Hazelle took the cloth and quickly wiped the dried blood from his cheeks. She then stripped Rory's shirt off and gasped at the bruises that had begun to form along his ribs.

"We don't have the medicine he needs…" Hazelle muttered, running her fingers along the purple bruises on Rory's sides. "Gale, you know the Everdeens right? They live four houses down. Her mother is skilled with medicine. Please run down to their home and ask for her."

Gale nodded his head and ran back out into the cold. The wind whipped his face but he ignored the pain as he reached the shabby home, much similar to his own. As he frantically knocked on the door, a small blonde girl answered the door. She looked to be about Rory's age and had a nervous expression on her face.

"Is your mom home?" Gale panted.

The girl's cheek flushed as she nodded, "Mommy? Someone's here…"

A few seconds later, an older blonde woman came to the door.

"Can I help you?"

Gale nodded and proceeded to tell her about the fight and how they didn't have the medicine for his bruises and cuts. Mrs. Everdeen immediately understood and asked Prim to fetch her medicine box. The little girl quickly retrieved it.

"We should hurry," Mrs. Everdeen said, putting on her coat.

When they reached his home, they were both panting and red-faced.

"Hazelle, how is he?"

Gale's mother stood up and wiped the tears off her face. "He's still sleeping. The bruises…it's all over his abdomen. I can't thank you enough for coming here."

"Of course I would. I only have some ointment that will help with his cuts, and some herbs that may help with the bruises," Mrs. Everdeen informed her, taking out a bag filled with a mushy green substance. "You'll have to reapply it every two hours, but it should help."

Mrs. Everdeen began to apply it all over Rory's sides and his jaw. She then applied some pink ointment onto the cuts on his arm and face.

"I'm sorry this is all I can do, Hazelle. It's been hard to acquire good medicine these days…"

Hazelle immediately enveloped the blonde woman into her arms. "No no, I can't thank you enough for everything you've done."

Both women separated from their embrace when they heard the front door open. Mr. Hawthorne stood covered in soot and holding his helmet under one arm. His grey eyes widened as he saw Rory laying on the couch, covered with pink and green substances.

"What happened?"

Hazelle began to explain to her husband what had happened and his father rubbed his eyes, not caring about the soot he had smeared all over his eyelids.

"Will he be okay?" he asked, turning to Mrs. Everdeen.

The blonde woman nodded, "Yes, no need to worry. He has no broken bones and his bruises should clear up in a couple of days."

Mr. Hawthorne grimly nodded and walked towards the sleeping boy. He wiped his hands with the wash cloth beside him and stroked the boy's damp brown hair. He then stood up to his full height and thanked Mrs. Everdeen before disappearing into the washroom.

Hazelle thanked Mrs. Everdeen once more before giving her some bread she had baked earlier as a gift.

"It's really no need, Hazelle. I know how hard it is to get grain nowadays. This is too much," Mrs. Everdeen urged, handing her the wrapped up bread.

"No, take it, please. I'll feel better if you accept it."

Mrs. Everdeen begrudgingly accepted the bread and headed back out into the cold night.

"Gale honey, do you think you could carry Rory into the bedroom?" Hazelle asked, picking up the soot covered wash cloth on the floor.

Gale nodded and placed an arm under his brother's neck and the other under his knees. He carefully lifted him up and carried him into the bedroom. His baby brother Vick was already sound asleep on the bed and Gale laid Rory down carefully beside him. The movement of the mattress startled the sleeping baby and he slowly opened his eyes. It took Vick a moment to realize his two brothers were beside him and he slowly sat up.

"Hey bud, Mom won't be too happy to see you awake," Gale whispered, ruffling his brother's unruly hair.

Vick's bottom lip jutted out and his chin trembled as tears began to form in his grey eyes. He let out a loud cry and Gale quickly lifted him up and carried him out of the room, not wanting Rory to wake up.

"Shh, don't cry," Gale said, rocking the toddler in his arms.

Eventually, Vick settled down and lulled back to sleep. Gale gently laid him back down and placed the covers over the two boys. When he reentered the living room, he noticed that it was dark and his parents were inside their bedroom. He could see the light peeking out from under the door and could hear their parents' hushed whispers.

"Honey, it's not your fault. You know how kids can get sometimes…especially during the winter."

Gale frowned as he heard his mother's soothing voice trying to reassure his father.

"I know," his father sighed. "But it's not just that Hazelle. They lowered our pay again today. We'll barely make it through winter at this rate. And Gale's growing so fast, he needs a new coat for the winter but I went by the hob today and we just…we can't afford it. Luckily we still have some old clothes for Rory and Vick but…"

"I'll take up some work around town. Maybe washing clothes. We'll make this work," his mother said calmly.

Gale stepped away from the door, feeling as if he heard something he shouldn't have. He quickly retreated back into his room. The light snores of his brothers filled the dark room and Gale sat on the edge of his bed. The old mattress groaned under his weight and he began to shiver as the loud wind howling outside crept through the cracks of the windows. He grabbed the blanket on his bed and placed it on top of the thick blanket covering his brothers. Gale then grabbed his coat and as he slipped it on, he noticed that his sleeves were indeed too short for him now. He crossed his arms, trying to block out the cold wind and fell silently onto the mattress.

He stared up at the ceiling, his mind replaying the conversation he had overheard earlier and his father's worn out voice ringing inside his head.

 _We'll barely make it through winter at this rate._

* * *

Madge had a nightmare.

She was getting ready for her piano recital. She had on the pink dress she had picked out especially for tonight and her hair was pinned up perfectly. She peeked out the curtains and into the audience to see her parents sitting in the front row. Her mother, whose face was usually pale with sunken cheeks and dark circles under her eyes, was dressed immaculately and her cheeks sported a rosy shade of pink. Her father was holding her hand as he smiled down at her. It was all perfect.

As Madge walked up on stage and towards the piano, the crowd settled down and all eyes were on her. She sat down and her fingers ghosted over the black and white keys. She played the first note but no sound would come out. She did it again but was met with silence once again. She gasped and glanced at her parents, who both had frowns on their face. Madge banged on the keys, yelling at them to make some noise. The crowd began to whisper and laugh, pointing at her with looks of amusement. Her parents were disappointed and her mother was getting ready to leave. Madge hopped off the bench and ran down the stage.

"Mommy!"

Her mother's back was faced towards her as she walked out the school doors.

"Mom, wait please!" Madge yelled. Her legs were moving as fast as they could but her mother only seemed farther away with every step.

Finally her mother stopped and turned around, causing Madge to stop her movements as well. The corner of her mother's pink lip twitched up as she looked down at her.

"Madge, I'm very disappointed with you," her mother said curtly.

Madge fell to her knees as her mother turned back towards the door and walked out into the dark night.

Madge sat up, wiping the sweat off her forehead. Her legs were clinging onto her sheets and she kicked it off her.

Today was the day she would play for her mother. She had played for her many times before, but today was different. It was her first performance in front of an audience that consisted of more than her parents and Tilda.

Everything had to be perfect.

Madge looked out the window and saw that the sun had just begun to rise. She treaded down the quiet halls of her home and went into the living room. The black piano glistened from the sun's rays. She sat down in front of the instrument and lifted her right index finger, brushing it lightly along the white surface. She pressed on a key and the sound echoed throughout the quiet room.

Steadily, her fingers began to work it's way into the keys as a sweet melody began to fill the air. Madge immersed herself into the music, her eyebrows furrowed and eyes closed. Her movements only stopped when she heard the floorboard creak.

"What?"

Her father's voice echoed down the halls, making its way to the living room. Madge stopped playing, tilting her head towards the source of the sound.

"When did this happen?"

Madge slowly got off the bench and quietly walked down the hallway and towards her father's office.

"I…I understand, sir."

Madge peeked through the crack of the door and could only make out one side of her father. He was sitting at his desk, one hand tightly gripping onto his phone and from the quick movement of his other arm, Madge guessed he was jotting something down.

"I'll make the announcement today."

He took off his glasses and let out a deep sigh.

"Yes, sir. Goodbye."

Her father gently hung up the phone and laid his head on his hands, steadying his breathing. It was in this moment that Madge pushed a little too hard onto the door and the loud creak caused his head to shoot up.

"Madge? What are you doing up so early?" he asked, quickly putting on his glasses.

Madge began to wring her hands together nervously and stood idly by the door.

"I was practicing for my recital today," she said, slowly making her way into the office. "Is everything okay, daddy?"

It was then that the solemn face she had seen earlier returned as he let out a defeated sigh. "I'm making the announcement later today so I guess it won't hurt to tell you now," he said, fiddling with the pen on his desk.

"An announcement about what?" she asked hesitantly.

Her father's tired eyes finally looked up at his eight year old daughter. He wished that he didn't have to tell her the news, but he knew that it would be better to hear it from him now.

"It's Magnus. He killed himself last night."

* * *

A/N: Okie dokes. I know this may seem like a slow start but it is essential for the rest of the story! Reviews are really appreciated so I know what you guys think! xo, shan


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